Golf equipment



'May 23, 1967 M. J. D'ANDREA 3,321,119

GOLF EQUIPMENT Filed April l1, 19166 .V fue GREEN Po KET HO-l PLAY ERHorneS United States Patent Oli ice 3,321,119 GOLF EQUIPMENT Maurice J.DAndrea, 9101 S. Bell, Chicago, Ill. 60620 Filed Apr. 11, 1966, Ser. No.541,709 2 Claims. (Cl. 224-5) This invention is manifest in a golfinggarment having a pocket containing a magnet to hold to the exterior ofthe garment a golf marker such as a stymie disc having ferromagneticproperties.

It is well known that the game of golf has its frustrating andexasperating moments, not the least of which is the golfer in theembarrassing situation at tee-off position bereft of a tee. A likeencounter with an equally disquieting effect on composure occurs in theinstance of the chagrined player on the green who is confronted with astymie position to be marked, but lacking a stymie marker other than theusual dime which may or may not be fortuito-usly available when he isstanding at the pin. I do not presume to suggest that these vicissitudesin the game of golf are not without attempts by others to obviate thecircumstances, but I do believe that the principles of the inventionhere presented can be better practiced in comparison to what has beenformerly offered, and in fact will quite likely produce for the player apsychological one-up situation where formerly he was one-down at the4tee or pin.

FIG. 1 of the drawing of my invent-ion shows a typical stymie situationwhich maybe encountered at the putting green in the game of golf; andFIG. 2 shows a player, equipped with .my inventi-on, in the position hemay assume a few moments later when marking his stymie ball for thecompetitor. FIG. 3 is a cross-section at the line 3-3 of FIG. 2, showingthe interior of the righthand trouser pocket of the player who appearsin FIG. 2, and FIG. 4 is a view substantially on the line 4 4 of FIG. 3showing the principles of my invention with utilitarian regard to stymiemarkers for golf. FIG. 5 is similar to FIG. 4 in depicting utilitarianaspects of my invention, but with regard to the extent that theinvention would embrace golf tees.

The scene in FIG. 1 is a panorama of a golf green showing two golf ballsas they have rolled to a stop near the cup for which two contestants arestriving to be first in. No. 1 player, crouching in FIG. 2, hasaccomplished a superior position in that his ball (No. 1, FIG. 1) iscloser to the cup than is ball No. 2 of the other player. In accordancewith custom, the player of No. 2 ball will putt first, being fartherfrom the cup, giving No. 1 player the advantage of observing .the lay ofthe green. However, the scene in FIG. 1 involves a typical stymiesituation in that the ball of player No. 1 interdicts the intended pathof the ball of No. 2 player .toward the cup. It is incumbent upon No. 1player to move his ball, enabling No. 2 player to have a clear shot atthe cup, but in so doing, No. 1 player is charged with theresponsibility of marking his putting position so that there will be noquestion as to his integrity when re-locating his ball for the puttingstroke following that of No. 2 player.

A thin, tiny disc or stymie marker should ordinarily be used by No. 1player t-o identify the stymie position of his ball appearing in FIG. 1.However, the need for such a marker is frequently neglected, and moreoften than not the player is hard put to find such a tiny item 3 ,3 2 l,1 19 Patented May 23, 1967 among numerous tees, coins, keys and suchsundries in the trouser pocket, or indeed in a pocket of the golf bag,off the green, to which No. 1 player may be compelled to retreat if heis a fastidious, though forgetful, devotee of the game.

Such a vicissitude is obviated by my invention in that a pocket-sizedmagnet, preferably of bar form, is disposed in the trouser or indeedskirt pocket of the player; and at the same time I make available a setof stymie markers have ferromagnetic properties, whereby themagnetically attractable stymie markers will be held to the exterior ofthe garment, at pocket level, by the liux of the magnet in the pocket.

Thus, I have shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 how my invention takes into accounta bar magnet M, of the permanent kind (eg. an Alnic-o magnet or one ofbarium ferrite) and an array of stymie markers SM attracted to themagnet due to ferromagnetic properties being imparted thereto. Suchproperty may be imparted to the stymie marker by fabricating the stymiemarkers entirely of ferromagnetic material in the first instance(stainless steel, for example); `or the marker can be of plastic orother -basically non-ferromagnetic material having a ferromagneticcontent such as embedded or coated iron filings or ferrite particlessuch as barium ferrite, lBaO-6Fe2O3.

The magnet M is of superior strength such as when disposed in a trouserpocket P, FIG. 3, its magnetic field permeates the tro-user leg TL ofthe garment thereby to hold on the exterior of the trouser leg an arrayof stymie markers SM readily available to the golfer. In fact, in FIG.2, No. 1 player is in a crouched attitude, retrieving his ball afterhaving placed thereunder one of the several stymie markers SM accessible.at finger 'tip level on his right-hand trouser leg TL as shown in FIG.2. Preferably, as shown in FIG. 3, the `trouser pocket P is providedwith an inner pocket IP, sized to neatly receive the magnet.

My invention is not limited to stymie position markers, for it can beapplied equally well to golf tees which I also designate as a golf ballposition marker in accordance with my invention. Thus, as shown in FIG.5, the magnet M may be used equally well t-o present golf tees T atiinger-tip level outside a garment pocket P. In this connection, thetees may be of ferromagnetic material per se, or of plastic formfabricated to contain a generous amount of iron filings of bariumferrite. Indeed by embedding iron lfilings or barium ferrite in aplastic tee, this will at the same time `strengthen the tee againstdeformation, a common difficulty with plastic tees.

It will be seen from the foregoing that a principal advantage of myinvention is :that the ball position marker, be it a stymie disc or atee, is presented in handy position to the golfer near his iinger tipsin the normal attitude of the golfers arm. There need be no searchingfor the marker, available as it is on the outside of the garment pocketnear thigh level.

I claim:

1. In a golfing garment including a pocket which will be adjacent thethigh of the player, a magnet disposed in said pocket, and a ballposition marker possessing ferromagnetic properties located on .theexterior of the garment at the level of the magnet in the pocket andwhich is held in place by the magnetic field of the magnet, the

3 4 level of the location for the marker being substantially ReferencesCited by the Examiner at fingertip level in the normal attitude of thearm, Where- UNITED STATES PATENTS by the marker is readily lavailable onthe outside of the pocket. 2,319,292 5/1943 Boggs.

2. A garment according to claim 1 wherein the pocket 5 3,178,784 4/ 1965Krallhamer 2-250 X thereof is near high thigh level presenting themarker 3,233,802 2/1966 LldWCk --f 224-5 near finger-tip level in thenormal attitude of the arm of the golfer, the magnet being a bar magnetconfined in GERALD -M- FORI-ENZA, Primary Examiner. an inner pocket andbeingv of elongated form to hold an F WERNER Assistant Examiner array ofmarkers in a row available to the golfer. 0

1. IN A GOLFING GARMENT INCLUDING A POCKET WHICH WILL BE ADJACENT THETHIGH OF THE PLAYER, A MAGNET DISPOSED IN SAID POCKET, AND A BALLPOSITION MARKER POSSESSING FERROMAGNETIC PROPERTIES LOCATED ON THEEXTERIOR OF THE GARMENT AT THE LEVEL OF THE MAGNET IN THE POCKET ANDWHICH IS HELD IN PLACE BY THE MAGNETIC FIELD OF THE MAGNET, THE LEVEL OFTHE LOCATION FOR THE MARKER BEING SUBSTANTIALLY AT FINGERTIP LEVEL INTHE NORMAL ATTITUDE OF THE ARM, WHEREBY THE MARKER IS READILY AVAILABLEON THE OUTSIDE OF THE POCKET.